Panafrican News Agency

AfDB debars Mactebac Contractors, Mr. Joram Opala Otieno for 36 months for fraudulent practices

Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) - The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has announced the 36-month debarment of Mactebac Contractors Ltd., a company registered in Kenya, and Mr. Joram Opala Otieno, the director and shareholder with effect from 15 December, 2020.

An investigation conducted by the Bank’s Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption established that Mactebac Contractors and Mr. Joram Opala Otieno engaged in fraudulent practices during a tender for the Construction Works for Malaba Water and Sanitation Project under the Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Programme in Kenya.

The debarment renders Mactebac Contractors Limited and its affiliates and Mr. Joram Opala Otieno ineligible to participate in Bank Group-financed projects during the debarment period.

Additionally, the debarment qualifies for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions, including the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank Group.

The AfDB media channel says "At the expiry of the debarment period, Mactebac Contractors Limited will only be eligible to participate in Bank Group-financed projects on condition that it implements an integrity compliance programme consistent with the Bank’s guidelines.

At the expiry of the debarment period, Mr. Joram Opala Otieno will only be eligible to participate in Bank Group-financed projects on condition that he completes an accredited integrity training.

The Construction Works for Malaba Water and Sanitation Project was a component of the Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Programme in Kenya which aimed to improve access, quality, availability and sustainability of water supply in 19 towns and waste water management services in 17 towns to improve quality of life and resilience against climate variability and change in Kenya.

It was co-financed by the African Development Bank.

The Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption of the African Development Bank Group is responsible for preventing, deterring and investigating allegations of corruption, fraud and other sanctionable practices in Bank Group-financed operations.

African Development Bank staff and the general public can use secured hotlines of the Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption to report sanctionable practices within the Bank or operations financed by the Bank Group.

-0- PAN VAO 19May2021